Wind power
Grid tie and Tower Descriptions
What is a Grid Tied Wind System?
A grid tied wind system captures energy from the wind and allows you to feed that power into the grid and draw it back out as needed. The system consists of three main parts: a wind turbine, an inverter and a power meter. Together, these three elements work to ensure a continuous flow of electricity into your home.
The wind turbine captures energy from the wind by using a propeller to turn an electric generator.
The power inverter takes the current from the wind generator and converts it to the proper household voltage and frequency. A smart inverter then decides whether to feed the power into your house or into the grid based on how much power you are using.
The power meter allows electricity to flow into the grid when you generate more than you use and back in to your house when you use more than you generate. The meter also enables your electrical utility company to rebate you for the electricity that you feed back into the grid, thus lowering your power bill even more.
Tower Descriptions
Tilts up Towers are very easy to install, and allow for easy maintenance of your wind power generator. Standard tilt-up towers are guyed pipe/tube towers and are available either complete or in kit form. Tilt-up-towers are also available in the guyed lattice type. Tilt-up-towers require three to four sets of guy wires and fairly level ground. Typical guy radii range from 50 to 70% of tower height.
Guyed-Latticed towers are available in several different sizes and thus several different strengths. It is not a tilt-up tower in its most common configuration since it is only guyed in three directions, but it can be modified to tilt up and down. This is often the least expensive option and can be found Used since it is a common tower for tele-communications installations. This type of tower can be installed using a crane or a gin pole.
The Free-Standing tower is the strongest tower but also the heaviest. It is usually installed using a crane. Although it is possible to have hinges installed on this type of tower, a crane or other heavy equipment may be necessary for tower raising and lowering. This tower has the advantage of no guy wires so that it may be the best option for places where ground space is limited. Free standing towers are most often lattice towers using either pipe or heavy angle for the three or sometimes four main support legs. Mono-tube towers are also available but come with higher price tags.
A GLT tower is a cantilevered Guy-Less design that stands 40 feet tall and hinges 15 feet above the ground. An integrated, industrial hand winch allows raising and lowering of the tower by one person. An automatic disc brake incorporated into the winch prevents the tower from falling and makes raising and lowering of the tower very safe. The tower can be lowered to whatever height the operator desires making turbine installation, inspection and service very easy. No tower stand or ladder is necessary.
GLTT’s are a favorite of Eco Builders.
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